Overview

• The Amtsgericht Brake sentenced the 32-year-old captain to a €5,000 fine following his conviction on charges of endangering shipping and dangerous interference with rail traffic.
• Prosecutors said the Rapida was navigated at 16 km/h—exceeding the 10 km/h limit—with insufficient crew and without a valid fitness-to-navigate certificate.
• In court the captain admitted operating without a helmsman and lacking required documents but maintained those shortcomings did not cause the collision.
• His defense argued that darkness and an unlit Hunte bridge prevented him from seeing the crossbeam before impact.
• The February 2024 crash inflicted about €10 million in structural damage, halted ship traffic for days and rail traffic for weeks, and led Deutsche Bahn to erect a provisional bridge.